End of the world for BBC branding

The BBC's decision to axe its globe ident has come under fire from senior BBC executives, who see it as an example of political correctness gone mad.

The globe was dropped last week in favour of a series of multicultural idents aimed at promoting 'inclusiveness', but some BBC insiders think it will be to the commercial detriment of the Corporation. It coincides with a new billboard advertising campaign that drops the BBC name from posters advertising the BBC1 TV channel, calling it simply 'The One'.

'Ask any media consultant and they'll say the BBC is the best brand name in the world, so why drop it? And what could be more inclusive than the globe?' one BBC staffer fumed.

Blame for the switch is being levelled at BBC chairman Gavyn Davies and at Lorraine Heggessey, controller of BBC1. 'Greg Dyke [chief executive] is spiritually against it, but Heggessey persuaded him. The demon king in all this is the chairman, though there is a thick strain of support for Heggessey. They all live in the muesli belt - Hampstead, Camden and Islington. They should come and see how it goes down in Luton,' said the source.

'They are the same people who packed the Question Time audience with Islamic fanatics after 11 September,' he added.

Dropping the globe, which has been the BBC's logo in various forms for nearly 40 years, comes after the furore prompted by Gavyn Davies's recent speech in which he accused 'southern, white and middle-class' viewers of trying to hijack the Corporation.

Heggessey said last week: 'I'm very sensitive to suggestions that BBC1 is not an inclusive channel. We reach more people in the UK than any other channel. I want to represent the diversity and totality of Britain, and that includes nations, regions and the disabled.

I think the globe was a fantastic symbol, but if you talk to people today they go to the States all the time and go on holiday to Goa.'

The new idents show Brazilian dancers, rugby players, disabled basketball players and a couple dancing salsa, themed in a red that will be BBC1's new colour. One branding expert said: 'Red is the colour of fast food and fast cars. Is that really the image the BBC wants to promote?'

The new idents were designed by Martin Lambie-Nairn at a cost of £700,000.